Boy who fell to death at theme park 'freaked out to friends' as ride took off
26.03.2022 - 20:51
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
A 14-year-old boy who fell to his death from a theme park drop tower knew something was wrong and was panicking when the ride took off, his devastated dad has said.
Tyre Sampson tragically died after slipping from his seat on ICON Parks' 430ft Orlando Free Fall around 11pm on Thursday.
The teen didn't feel as though his safety harness was properly secured and told his friends sitting next to him to tell his parents that he loved them if he didn't make it off, according to reports.
Photos and 911 call audio support the possibility that the schoolboy's harness may not have been properly secured by theme park staff, the Mirror reports.
And his dad Yarnell Sampson says that the teen knew something was wrong as soon as the ride began to ascend.
Mr Sampson told WOFL-TV : "When the ride took off, that's when he was feeling uncomfortable. He was like 'this thing is moving,' you know what I'm saying. And he was like 'what's going on?''.
The grieving father said Tyre began to panic and shared a chilling premonition with his two best friends, seated next to him on the ride.
"That's when he started freaking out. And he was explaining to his friends, next to him, 'I don't know man, if I don't make it down, safely, can you please tell my mamma and daddy that I love them,'' said Sampson.
"For him to say something like that, he must have felt something."
Sampson said that his son was 6'5" and was told by other rides in the park that he was too large to ride safely - but Free Fall ride operators waved him aboard.
New 911 call audio reported by the Sun shows a bystander believed that ride staff had not secured the safety harness.
The caller graphically described Tyre's injuries, saying he was unresponsive but possibly still alive.
"They're